European Track Championships 2006

 

July 19-23; Athens Olympic Velodrome

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Junior Mens Scratch Race

 

Peter Kennaugh rips the track up as he shows power and speed to burn as he rides away from the field with 8 laps to go and tries to chase down the break only to run out laps. It was though a master performance from the Isle of Man rider once he decided that the pre-race strategy wasn't working and he had to start chasing the race. As a first year junior, his ride shows that there is a lot more to come from him yet and hasn't got long to wait for the Junior Worlds if selected.

 

Final
With the defending champion included in the three Great Britain riders in the Junior Mens Scratch race final, finishing out of the medals was a big disappointment to the team. The race started positively enough with Mark McNally getting in a move with half a dozen or so riders but after a determined chase by the bunch, the break was brought back.

It was then that race went all wrong. With Peter Kennaugh sitting in at the back gambling on a sprint, the other two Brits both missed the move and although there was a chase, the damage had been done and the field never saw the leaders again. Kennaugh however wasn't go out without a do or die effort and so with eight laps to go, he launch himself off the front with a Dutch rider and they started to make ground on the leaders who from time to time were playing cat and mouse games.

They did though run out of laps and it was the break of 7 or 8 riders that sprinted it out for the medals while Kennaugh was the leading British rider. At the time we left the Velodrome, there were no results sheets and no in-venue wireless results service to know any more.

We did however get to talk to Peter Kennaugh who after realising it wasn't going to be a bunch sprint, went on to do what he does best and race the race. "The result is slightly frustrating but more so for Matt (Rowe) as this was his race as I had the Team Pursuit (where he won Gold). I feel sorry for Matt."

"I think it was 8 to go when Darren gave me the signal and I jumped over the bunch and that's all I could do. I was lucky to take a Dutch rider with me and was starting to suffer with one to go. It was so close and as we got close to the front group, the Dutch guy had a rider in there so he wasn't fussed and didn't want to give it full gas."

Asked was there a strategy, Peter replied "Mark had to cover the breaks for the first 15 laps (which he did) and then Matt was supposed to feel the moment and be in the break that stayed away -- but that's bike racing, it doesn't always work out. My job was to sit at the back until the last k and I was gambling on it coming down to a sprint. It was quite frustrating sitting at the back and that was building up so when I was ready to go, I could let it all out."

"Getting that experience though is a bonus on top of my Team Pursuit. I came here just to ride the Team Pursuit and gave that everything. I learnt a lot from the race and also from the Heat which I rode pretty stupid in to be honest with you. I went after every move when I got caught up in the excitement of it all."

"In hindsight, with the scratch race, I am the sort of rider who likes to race it and be in the breaks but I was only brought in at the last minute when we were told we could have three in the event. I'm happy with the way I am feeling form wise with the Worlds coming up."

 

British UCI commissaire Trevor Reade sets the race under way.

 

Mark McNally gets in an early break that stretched the field out as it chased the break down.

 

The break that the GB team missed and had to watch ride away from them with the Italian winning the race. 

 

Defending champion, Matt Rowe, tries to get away but finds few allies and fails to escape the clutches of the main group.

HEATS
The opening session on day 3 saw the Junior Men having to ride two heats of the Scratch race to see who qualified for the final. In the first heat, was defending champion Matt Rowe and Mark McNally, whilst in the second heat was Peter Kennaugh.

The first heat started with a Spanish and Russian rider getting away on the first lap but they were caught after three laps. A Swiss rider then got away and with no-one chasing, he took a lap after a lengthy chase. With the laps to go in the high teens, Matt Rowe and Mark McNally joined forces with a Dutch rider to open a gap. Another three chased them down and the leading group soon grew to six riders and then with five laps to go, they lapped the field to seal qualification for the final.

In heat 2, Peter Kennaugh didn't waste any time getting off the front as he chased down a Spanish rider but the move didn't get far. Lots of probing moves then followed and after a series of moves failed, a Russian rider got away and had a lap in next to no time.

With five to go, Peter Kennaugh made his move to ensure qualification, catching a Dutch rider and then shelling him out the back as Kennaugh carried on his own all the way to the finish to coast across the line and book his place in the final, making it all three in there. Special mention for the Serbian rider Nemanja who after being shelled during a spell of attacking racing, recaught the bunch, attacked to chase the Russians and although he never managed to gain a lap, he held on for 6th position and a place in the final.

 

RESULTS

FINAL

1. VIVIANI Elia ITA
2. DAUGA Vincent FRA
3. PEETOOM Gerrit NED
4. MAZUR Oleksandr UKR
5. SPEIRS Isaac IRL
6. KENNAUGH Peter GBR
7. LIGHTART Dim NED
8. MARTINEZ DIAZ David ESP
9. VOLIKAKIS Christos GRE
10. MATZKA Ralf GER
11. PERIZZOLO Loic SUI
12. MORA VEDRI Sebastian ESP
13. GALANIS Vasileios GRE
14. GENSCH Sebastian POL
15. LAMOISSON Morgan FRA
16. PELUCCHI Matteo ITA
17. STANEV Plamen BUL
18. MAXIMOV Roman RUS
19. O?SULLIVAN Jeremiah IRL
20. ROWE Matthew GBR
21. MCNALLY Mark GBR
22. PETROVSKIY Alexander RUS


Heat 1
1. SPEIRS Isaac IRL
2. MCNALLY Mark GBR
3. PETROVSKIY Alexander RUS
4. STARK Dominique SUI
5. PELUCCHI Matteo ITA
6. MAZUR Oleksandr UKR
7. LIGHTART Dim NED
8. ROWE Matthew GBR
9. LAMOISSON Morgan FRA -1
10. GENSCH Sebastian POL -1
11. MORA VEDRI Sebastian ESP -1
12. GALANIS Vasileios GRE -1
13. VASCIULA Mantas LTU -1
14. KAPR Pavel CZE -1
15. PRETZ Armin HUN -1
16. MILANOVIC Nikola SCG -1

First 12 riders in each heat to final



Heat 2
1. MAXIMOV Roman RUS
2. KENNAUGH Peter GBR -1
3. DAUGA Vincent FRA -1
4. VIVIANI Elia ITA -1
5. PERIZZOLO Loic SUI -1
6. VULIC Nemanja SCG -1
7. VOLIKAKIS Christos GRE -1
8. MATZKA Ralf GER -1
9. MARTINEZ DIAZ David ESP -1
10. O?SULLIVAN Jeremiah IRL -1
11. STANEV Plamen BUL -1
12. PEETOOM Gerrit NED -1
13. KRYSZTOFIK Tomasz POL -1
14. PODOLYAN Igor UKR -1
15. JANUSKEVICIUS Vaidotas LTU -1
16. SAKAVETS Sergey BLR -1
17. REHOUNEK Tomas CZE -1